Wednesday
Sep292010
Obamamania: A Rousing Speech
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 5:40PM
As Tuesday dawned, Library Mall was bustling with activity. Overnight, floodlights had been erected, a stage set up, and the area gated off. As police and secret service moved in, roads began to close, people started getting excited, and the crowds began to gather.
The city was just buzzing all day. The atmosphere across Madison was incredible, as Obama was all anyone could talk about. Just walking up State Street, there was a great feeling of anticipation in the air. After a brief stop off at work, having just seen the National arrive (a band that would open for the President), I grabbed some lunch and headed out over to Park Street, where the entrance to Library Mall, and where the line to get it had begun to form.
Only, it hadn't just begun to form at 2.15. It was already stretching all the way down Park Street. I wandered down to the end of Park, and to my amazement, saw that the line stretched all the way down university, as far as the eye could see. It was incredible, that one man could draw out all these people to come and see him speak. And they weren't just students either. Media coverage of the event has tended to focus on the student population here, because the rally was held at the UW. Yet on my trails weaving through the crowds, handing out Tammy Baldwin stickers to garner support for her re-election, I saw an eclectic mix of people; families with children as young as 3; elderly couples from out of state; middle aged groups of people. People from all walks of life, all nationalities, all races, had turned out to be a part of this moment, the first time in 50 years a sitting President had visited the UW. I guess that's why they call him the leader of the free world.
There was a great sense of togetherness and friendship throughout the queue, as people laughed and joked, talking about all things political and all things non-political. Hands shot up in the air as a Secret Service helicopter flew overhead, as friends turned to each other wondering aloud if Obama was in there. He wasn't. Too early yet. Political operatives from all candidates, both parties, and all different organizations walked through the line, trying to whip up support for their official, or their issue. Pro-Life, Anti-Abortion, Anti-War, Pro-Obama. All were there, all waving signs and chanting their cause. Yet the atmosphere remained cordial, from the front of the line at University Avenue, all the way down to Charter, up to Linden, down to Babcock, stretching as far back as University Hospital. That's a hell of a long way.
As the gates opened and people started to file in through the airport like security, the line slowly moved towards Library Mall, halting traffic in its flow. It certainly was a sight to see. As my stickers ran out, and the people I was helping walked off to the media entrance to use their tickets, I, a measily volunteer, turned to join Nicole in the line, becoming part of the vast sea of people. Though I wouldn't get close to the President, it was nice to be a part of all those people patiently waiting to see Obama.
The hours ticked by, and doubts began to spread through the crowd about whether we would actually make it into the area to see him speak. The event was being held outside in Library Mall, and not at the Kohl Centre where Obama had previously spoken, out of fears that he wouldn't draw a big enough crowd to fill it. It holds 17,000. Early estimates for yesterday put the crowd at 26,000, though I think there were more than this. Overflow areas and Bascom Hill were full of spectators, as were bars,restaurants and shops along State Street, broadcasting the event. As the clock turned 5, we just made it into the security area. Maybe a hundred people came through behind us, then that was it. Capacity reached. We were extremely lucky.
We'd missed The National, but Ben Harper opened up to the crowd with his guitar, followed by a short speech from Russ Feingold, Senator for Wisconsin. It was a partisan speech, largely defending his reputation, which has been tarnished by attack ads. He spoke about the mess Republicans got the country into, and was strongly against corporate interests, stating that he was the number one enemy of lobbyists in Washington. It was a good fighting speech, strong against his opponent Ron Johnson, without mentioning his name. He admitted to being outspent by millionaire Johnson, but maintained that the seat had to be earned, not bought. And he hadn't been out-earned.
Next up, Mayor Tom Barrett, running for governor, took to the stage and gave a rousing speech about driving out the vote and getting people to prove the polls wrong. He made a great point that people had forgotten about pre 2008, forgotten about the recession to a certain extent, forgotten that Obama had got the country out. For Barrett, who needs all the votes he can get, it is integral to democracy that everyone gets out to vote. The biggest problem for Democrats is that democratic voters aren't energised, and that's what this rally aimed to do. Barrett started that, but it was Obama who really fired everyone up.
Obama's colloquial style got the crowd laughing immediately, as he briefly mentioned his time in Madison as a student. Soon though it was all about energising the crowd, engaging all those students, and people from all walks of life watching live across the nation, to get out the vote. It's a fight for the future of this country he said. It's been done before, in 2008, and it can be done again. People power. "YES WE CAN" shouted the crowd. Speaking for almost 40 minutes, Obama showed the crowd why he is President; what he has achieved these past two years, following up on his promises; what he has planned for the future; and what a superb orator he is. Defending himself and democrats, he spoke about his successes in the economy, in job creation, and received a huge cheer when he mentioned healthcare reforms. A lot of news coverage has focused on the general public's opposition to the healthcare bill, but the reaction Obama stirred in Madison last night proves that to be wrong.
Naming the things he had achieved, he admitted too that things had been hard. But he reminded the crowd that he told them it would be hard, and they would have to keep fighting. He joked that he couldn't have done much more, otherwise he would have nothing left to do for the 2 years he has left.
Despite his little stutter from time to time, which in some ways makes his speeches more personal, Obama rallied the crowd to a near frenzy. "What enthusiasm gap?" he shouted, acknowledging the incredible support he was receiving, and the number of people who had turned out to see him. For good measure, he denounced the Republican's and their plans for the future, denouncing the special interests supporting them. His car analogy towards the end of his speech was just inspiring. Check it out below.
I have spoken for too long, so I will leave you with a video of his speech. I have so much more to say about it, but I have to go to work! It really was inspiring to see this man speak, and he even had me convinced about the greatness of America, and the need for more change and progress. The future has great potential, but it needs the voters of America to support it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XM4fb93Zo]
The city was just buzzing all day. The atmosphere across Madison was incredible, as Obama was all anyone could talk about. Just walking up State Street, there was a great feeling of anticipation in the air. After a brief stop off at work, having just seen the National arrive (a band that would open for the President), I grabbed some lunch and headed out over to Park Street, where the entrance to Library Mall, and where the line to get it had begun to form.
Only, it hadn't just begun to form at 2.15. It was already stretching all the way down Park Street. I wandered down to the end of Park, and to my amazement, saw that the line stretched all the way down university, as far as the eye could see. It was incredible, that one man could draw out all these people to come and see him speak. And they weren't just students either. Media coverage of the event has tended to focus on the student population here, because the rally was held at the UW. Yet on my trails weaving through the crowds, handing out Tammy Baldwin stickers to garner support for her re-election, I saw an eclectic mix of people; families with children as young as 3; elderly couples from out of state; middle aged groups of people. People from all walks of life, all nationalities, all races, had turned out to be a part of this moment, the first time in 50 years a sitting President had visited the UW. I guess that's why they call him the leader of the free world.
There was a great sense of togetherness and friendship throughout the queue, as people laughed and joked, talking about all things political and all things non-political. Hands shot up in the air as a Secret Service helicopter flew overhead, as friends turned to each other wondering aloud if Obama was in there. He wasn't. Too early yet. Political operatives from all candidates, both parties, and all different organizations walked through the line, trying to whip up support for their official, or their issue. Pro-Life, Anti-Abortion, Anti-War, Pro-Obama. All were there, all waving signs and chanting their cause. Yet the atmosphere remained cordial, from the front of the line at University Avenue, all the way down to Charter, up to Linden, down to Babcock, stretching as far back as University Hospital. That's a hell of a long way.
As the gates opened and people started to file in through the airport like security, the line slowly moved towards Library Mall, halting traffic in its flow. It certainly was a sight to see. As my stickers ran out, and the people I was helping walked off to the media entrance to use their tickets, I, a measily volunteer, turned to join Nicole in the line, becoming part of the vast sea of people. Though I wouldn't get close to the President, it was nice to be a part of all those people patiently waiting to see Obama.
The hours ticked by, and doubts began to spread through the crowd about whether we would actually make it into the area to see him speak. The event was being held outside in Library Mall, and not at the Kohl Centre where Obama had previously spoken, out of fears that he wouldn't draw a big enough crowd to fill it. It holds 17,000. Early estimates for yesterday put the crowd at 26,000, though I think there were more than this. Overflow areas and Bascom Hill were full of spectators, as were bars,restaurants and shops along State Street, broadcasting the event. As the clock turned 5, we just made it into the security area. Maybe a hundred people came through behind us, then that was it. Capacity reached. We were extremely lucky.
We'd missed The National, but Ben Harper opened up to the crowd with his guitar, followed by a short speech from Russ Feingold, Senator for Wisconsin. It was a partisan speech, largely defending his reputation, which has been tarnished by attack ads. He spoke about the mess Republicans got the country into, and was strongly against corporate interests, stating that he was the number one enemy of lobbyists in Washington. It was a good fighting speech, strong against his opponent Ron Johnson, without mentioning his name. He admitted to being outspent by millionaire Johnson, but maintained that the seat had to be earned, not bought. And he hadn't been out-earned.
Next up, Mayor Tom Barrett, running for governor, took to the stage and gave a rousing speech about driving out the vote and getting people to prove the polls wrong. He made a great point that people had forgotten about pre 2008, forgotten about the recession to a certain extent, forgotten that Obama had got the country out. For Barrett, who needs all the votes he can get, it is integral to democracy that everyone gets out to vote. The biggest problem for Democrats is that democratic voters aren't energised, and that's what this rally aimed to do. Barrett started that, but it was Obama who really fired everyone up.
Obama's colloquial style got the crowd laughing immediately, as he briefly mentioned his time in Madison as a student. Soon though it was all about energising the crowd, engaging all those students, and people from all walks of life watching live across the nation, to get out the vote. It's a fight for the future of this country he said. It's been done before, in 2008, and it can be done again. People power. "YES WE CAN" shouted the crowd. Speaking for almost 40 minutes, Obama showed the crowd why he is President; what he has achieved these past two years, following up on his promises; what he has planned for the future; and what a superb orator he is. Defending himself and democrats, he spoke about his successes in the economy, in job creation, and received a huge cheer when he mentioned healthcare reforms. A lot of news coverage has focused on the general public's opposition to the healthcare bill, but the reaction Obama stirred in Madison last night proves that to be wrong.
Naming the things he had achieved, he admitted too that things had been hard. But he reminded the crowd that he told them it would be hard, and they would have to keep fighting. He joked that he couldn't have done much more, otherwise he would have nothing left to do for the 2 years he has left.
Despite his little stutter from time to time, which in some ways makes his speeches more personal, Obama rallied the crowd to a near frenzy. "What enthusiasm gap?" he shouted, acknowledging the incredible support he was receiving, and the number of people who had turned out to see him. For good measure, he denounced the Republican's and their plans for the future, denouncing the special interests supporting them. His car analogy towards the end of his speech was just inspiring. Check it out below.
I have spoken for too long, so I will leave you with a video of his speech. I have so much more to say about it, but I have to go to work! It really was inspiring to see this man speak, and he even had me convinced about the greatness of America, and the need for more change and progress. The future has great potential, but it needs the voters of America to support it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XM4fb93Zo]
Reader Comments (1)
AMAZING POST!! As I read your post, I began to wonder which was more inspiring, Obama's talk or your account of the event. Thanks for sharing and all of your wonderful posts. Lv. Grandma.